What Hi Fi Sound and Vision
04 JAN 2006
Pro-ject 2 Xperience X-Pack
A surefooted and capable player, but it prefers not to the rock the house – if that sounds ideal, you should dive in
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Pro-ject has taken a very capable record player, the 2 Xperience, and turned it into even better value for money – by throwing in a £300 Ortofon cartridge and a speed-switching box for an extra ton. It has what it takes to realistically challenge Clearaudio’s Emotion – and not only in terms of price.
There's an obvious resemblance between this Pro-ject and the Clearaudio Emotion player. Now, their polished surfaces’ susceptibility to fingerprints might be one obvious parallel but, more import-antly, there are similarities in the way these two turntables go about the task of reproducing your vinyl collection.
Spinning The Upsetters’ Super Ape, the X-pack offers taut, punchy, but fractionally lean bass – which in common with the remainder of the frequency range, times splendidly. Voices enjoy decent separation on the broad and convincing soundstage, and the upper end gleams without ever spilling into hardness.
Take a walk on the mild side
With the Pro-ject, tempos are fluid and unforced – but, though no slouch, the
X-pack doesn’t have quite the attacking verve or excitement of the Emotion. It offers a slightly more considered, slightly less vigorous sound than the Clearaudio, while communicating just as precisely.
It doesn’t do to overstate the perceived shortcomings of the X-pack’s sound, though, as they’re quite subjective. The Xperience can humble similarly priced CD players, and it also offers a distinct alternative to the Clearaudio deck.
If you crave action, you might find its unhurried demeanour a little statesmanlike. However, those who prefer a walk on the mild side will find the X-pack a friendly, conspiratorial device.